MONTEREY >> A 26-year-old Monterey wildlife photographer will receive a prestigious Smithsonian Institute award next week for an image captured of a sunset over Washington’s Mount Rainier.

Chase Dekker’s photograph, titled “Edith Creek Sunset,” was selected in the landscape category. In all, 60 photos in different categories were accepted out of 43,000 submissions for the Smithsonian’s Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards.

Dekker’s photograph will be featured at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History through September 2019. He will receive the award at a ceremony on Nov. 15 at the Smithsonian in Washington.

“From the high Arctic, to the volcanoes of Africa, Chase spends a majority of each year traveling the globe for photographs and stories about nature,” according to a statement released by the Smithsonian. “His photographs of Monterey Bay are amongst some of the most spectacular ever captured.”

Dekker, who is also a wildlife biologist, has traveled to a number of countries in Africa, as well as Tonga, Canada, Alaska, the Arctic and in numerous places in the continental United States.

His travels are fueled by his desire to photograph a variety of wildlife. (See https://www.instagram.com/chasedekkerphotography/ for a collection of his photographs, including the winning Smithsonian image.

“I will read an article or see other images of wildlife that interests me and I’ll go there,” Dekker said. “I can’t shoot one thing for too long.”

Having a degree in wildlife biology helps certain aspects of his photography, indirectly.

“Wildlife biology helps to understand subjects in the natural world, in terms of ecosystems, climate and biological aspects of wildlife,” Dekker said.

During his photography career, he has been published in over 120 books, magazines, articles and newspapers. Dekker’s images have been shown on television networks such as ABC, PBS and BBC. Some of his print publications include National Geographic, Lonely Planet, National Wildlife Federation and Nature’s Best Photography.

“His photographs of Monterey Bay are among some of the most spectacular ever captured,” according to the Smithsonian statement. “Chase Dekker represents the best of our future generations where the combination of education, passion and talent will continue to protect our natural world.”

Obtaining breathtaking images is no walk in the park. For example, sometimes the subject refuses to hold still, as is the case of dolphins, Dekker said. First of all, some species of dolphins can swim up to 20 mph. They are moving fast and will take unexpected turns and jumps. Dekker must stay focused in order to capture publication-worthy images.

“Every shot presents its own set of challenges,” Dekker said.

Recently he was shooting whales off the coast of Tonga – underwater. Spotting whales from a boat can be tough enough; the boat can turn, speed up or slow down to get within shooting distance of the huge mammals. But being underwater means you are somewhat static and need to be ready when the whales come to you.

Perhaps his roughest trip was being aboard an expedition ship that left northern Norway en route to the Artic. Seas at that latitude can be extremely rough and unpredictable. Dekker said they were being thrown around nonstop.

“Just holding a fork was terrifying,” he said.

Dekker wants to return to the Arctic to photograph of polar bears out of a sense of urgency. As the environment – particularly the poles – are under assault from global warming, Dekker believes it’s paramount to capture images of the changes occurring on our planet.

“Every photo has a story and the story now is that we are at risk of losing everything,” he said. “Nothing matters if we can’t live on the planet.”

To view all 60 winners, go to https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-of-natural-history/2018/10/29/check-out-winning-photos-2018-natures-best-photography-awards/